While traveling, the discovery of local culture is a great part of the pleasure. However,eating confidently and well while on the road can sometimes be a challenge.

We’ve all heard and usually follow the rules regarding bottled or boiled water, eating only fruit with skins we can peel, etc., but sometimes the local fare, preparations and customs may be quite different from what we are accustomed to. The more one goes off the beaten track, the less one is likely to find familiar food.(Although I have been amazed to see Mars bars and other known brands in the outreaches of Mongolia and elsewhere.)

Overall, it is highly likely that you are going to adapt and flourish in your surroundings, but just in case there are options. Instant noodle soups, dried fruits and nuts seem to be available virtually everywhere and on occasion they have served me well.

Considerations of hygiene are legitimate and not always easy to assess but choosing well attended eateries is usually a sign of quality and freshness. Customs, such as sharing a drinking bowl, can make some us, particularly coming from germ-phobic societies, downright refuse. I’ve generally fought my apprehensions and have been rewarded with the tastes of local delicacies and memories to cherish.

Eating well while on the road, may require some adjusting, some ingenuity, and a touch of the bold, but the diet one may find questionable is sustaining the local population after all.

Consider wisely, but fully experience the land you are in.

While traveling we hope for the best and ideally prepare for everything else. Traveling alone requires a few additional precautions, particularly if you prefer or are unable to enlist the help of the cavalry, friends, or family.

None of what I suggest is original or new, but what follows is a gentle reminder of some prudent steps to take. As I mentioned in my previous post insurance is highly recommended, however, even with insurance immediate assistance may not be attainable. It is strongly advised that all your important backup information is safe, secure, but accessible. It is best to carry copies of your credit cards, emergency contacts, passwords, passport, etc. with some encryption or missing details that you can easily fill in yourself. If there is a loss or theft, replacement credit cards can be sent but that may take a few days. If you do not have someone to wire you money or if it is not feasible, you may find yourself uncomfortably dependent upon the kindness of strangers. Try to always keep an additional credit card, extra money and a hidden emergency stash of both in separate places.

If you are traveling in questionable areas, take the absolute minimum with you. Some people even carry a “dummy” wallet with expired credit cards and some cash. I’ve never done this myself, but it may be a good idea. Most importantly try to avoid being a target, use good common sense, and exude a sense of confidence.

Traveling alone is an extraordinary experience that continues to enrich my life in countless ways. But every once in a while there is bound to be a snag. It’s nice to have a Plan B.

Many years ago I was wisely advised to purchase “homeowners” insurance for my rented apartment. I have been doing so ever since. The bonus is that I receive coverage for all my personal belongings even while traveling. Unfortunately I’ve experienced a few instances of theft, none of which were pleasant, but being insured undoubtedly eased the hardship. In each of these circumstances the value of my possessions was reimbursed graciously, with minimal difficulty, and maximum expediency. And when a water pipe broke in my apartment causing considerable damage I was thankfully covered for that too.

However, personal belongings fall a notch below the consideration of one’s personal well being. When I travel to foreign lands I always buy additional insurance to cover medical and dental assistance, lost luggage/documents, emergency evacuation, missed flights, etc.. Having both kinds of insurance is suggested since few, if any, policies cover all of the above.

I chose to buy the homeowners policy with Travelers. It is a decision I am extremely pleased with and over the years the premium has never exceeded a few hundred dollars annually. The customer service thus far has been outstanding.

While planning a two month trip, I bought a policy with Travelguard. For less than $100 it covered my primary concerns mentioned above. Fortunately I did not need any emergency assistance, so I cannot vouch for their services, but they did pay the deductible from the other policy easily and efficiently.

I encourage you to shop around and see what best suits your needs and budget and I strongly suggest that you take the necessary steps to be covered.

A friend had taught himself Japanese by painstakingly reading texts using a Japanese-English dictionary. Such a technique seemed extremely ambitious and far too tedious for me at the time, but over the years I have found a similar process helpful in ameliorating my knowledge of Spanish  (Having a similar alphabet undoubtedly makes the effort notably easier, if not easy.)

It is at times a slow undertaking, but also deeply satisfying like the joy of unraveling a mystery. Each new word gives a clue to the story and if successful the tale becomes coherent and alive. But errors do occur and can lead to some considerable pondering. Why was the mother bringing only a large “hammer” when leaving her family for days? I thought about this for sometime and tried to imagine some logical scenarios, none of which seemed fruitful. It then occurred to me that I was confusing “martillo(hammer)” with “maleta(bag)”.

I now know to keep the dictionary closer at hand when the prose tend toward the discordant or surreal.

Embarking on a voyage takes some organization as well as planning; I’ve been spending the last few weeks doing a bit of both. Tomorrow I am leaving for Chile. The idea is to travel, during the seven weeks I am there,from South to North, flying both in and out of Santiago. I will be bringing a tent and sleeping bag, but will limit my luggage to my trusty, and recently refurbished, carry-on bag. Even though both the tent and sleeping bag are compact and light, I am in the process of paring down my needs. I have compiled a list over the years, that helps me a great deal, (I will be happy to forward it along to anyone who may need one.) but I’ll still be making some tough decisions before I walk out my door. I have a general idea of my itinerary, but I am open to change. When I can, I hope to keep you informed of my days.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new. I hope you find information and inspiration in the text and images and join me in my quest for growth, wonderment and self-awareness.
Here’s to new discoveries near and far!

Enjoy the days.

In general, once I choose my destination,and numerous factors play a role in the decision ie. desire, time, expense, and world events, I secure my flight.

I never had much success with the last minute deals people rave about, so I generally book my flights months in advance. If I am using miles from my credit card I sometimes speak to the representative directly; it can be well worth it. I remember a very kind employee of Delta finding a first class ticket to Alaska, after quite a bit of searching, for the same number of miles as economy. It was on July 4th and perhaps less people were traveling that day.

For ideas and advice I use TripAdvisor travel forums, general Google searches and buy a guide book, usually The Lonely Planet which offers a number of suggested itineraries, tips on numerous places, and valuable information.

Unlike many travelers I do not, for better or worse, do extensive planning before my departure. I try to get a general idea of where I would like to go, particularly for the beginning, and then, once I arrive let my experiences and the advice of people I meet assist in my decision making. However visas and vaccinations need to be addressed as soon as possible.

I will be heading to Chile next month and can attest to what I have done thus far: purchased my round trip ticket to Santiago, with Delta skymiles; booked three nights in a highly rated hostel in the Bellas Artes District that I found by viewing hostelworld.com then cross referencing with TripAdvisor and booking.com (a site I highly recommend); purchased a national flight that takes me, after a few days in Santiago, down to Punta Arenas, an entry point for Tierra del Fuego; booked five nights at a small hotel in Valparaiso, just before my return back home. And that is all for now, besides pulling out my Spanish dictionary and some Spanish books.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new. I hope you find information and inspiration in the text and images and join me in my quest for growth, wonderment and self-improvement

One of the primary considerations we have while traveling is insuring that our funds outlast our journey.Unfortunately there are endless ways to see our money leave our hands faster than it should.

One of the challenges of foreign travel is managing unfamiliar currency. It can be freeing when we momentarily pretend we are playing with Monopoly money but it can be disconcerting when we recognize that we have squandered away our precious savings.

We are rarely exempt from getting hit with at least one exorbitant bill. Perhaps it is from confusion, a misunderstanding, inattention or downright dishonesty.Perhaps after agreeing on an excursion we find ourselves with all these pricey additional fees. We may encounter an unscrupulous taxi driver who holds our bags ransom until he is paid his fraudulent fare. Perhaps the quality and value of some “treasure” we bought does not correspond to the amount we gave. We might order a “special” at a restaurant and fail to ask the price. Or we thought the expenses were going to be shared, but find ourselves-alone paying the entire bill.

Sometimes the incidents are less costly but no less disconcerting. Perhaps we exchange money on the street expecting a good rate only to find it wasn’t. Or we are quoted a price that seems fair, but realize too late that it should have been a fraction of that.

Unpleasant monetary experiences are never fun, and I’ve had my share, but I also try not to let it ruin my day nor influence my opinion of the land.

It helps to speak with others. Don’t rush into buying anything. Act confident and savvy, even if you may not feel it and do some research when you can. Negotiate all prices clearly before engaging in any service or purchase.  If possible, only use ATMs or banks you know, to get the local currency.

Do what you can to avoid any unpleasant life lessons but note that although caution and experience help, it is difficult to be entirely immune.

If/when it happens to you chalk it up, get your smile back and take note of the tale you now have to tell, even if it was hard won.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new. I hope you find information and inspiration in the text and images and join me in my quest for growth, wonderment and self-improvement

Certain countries do not seem to list any prices for their goods. The locals apparently know the costs. But this doesn’t help a traveler much as some vendors will intentionally overcharge and expect to engage in haggling or elicit thoughts of caveat emptor.

In the past, while traveling in India, asking how much something cost would entail playing part in an elaborate game. Bantering and bargaining would ensue and a price was met…or not. But either way, frequent negotiations were exhausting.

Of course  seeing what the locals are paying is optimal,  but not always feasible.

Now if I suspect that asking the price will not yield the actual cost, I resist all inquiries,  simply hand over what I assume is appropriate and wait for the change. It is possible that I have legitimately made an underestimation, and the seller will not hesitate to let me know, but the exchange is likely to be fair.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new. I hope you find information and inspiration in the text and images and join me in my quest for growth, wonderment and self-improvement.

Travel is often thought of as a luxury. Besides time, it requires money. However, there are certain choices we can make to achieve our goal more readily.

If you have not already done so, consider getting a credit card that offers frequent flyer miles. It can be a long term project, but it will pay off. I have flown using Am Ex Delta skymiles several times. But, I travel with Capitol One and Capitol One 360 ; neither incur foreign transaction fees.

Stay near to home, travel by car or choose a destination that is relatively inexpensive once you get there. Fortunately there are numerous websites proposing special airfares; just make sure they are reputable.

Countries with ample local transportation can reduce your need for expensive taxis and tours.

Compromise some comforts for simpler accommodations: consider camping, staying in hostels or becoming a member of Couchsurfing. There are agencies like Airbnb with a huge range of budget options. Look into swapping your home with another elsewhere, or house-sitting. You might sublet your place while away.

Places off season are usually less expensive and willing to negotiate their rates.

Budget travel  http://www.budgettravel.com/ is one of many sites with travel tips.  I just gave it a look and saw many deals and ideas.

Eat with the locals. Many countries have fantastic cuisine at a fraction of the price you will pay in tourist restaurants. But like everything else, be selective, you want the experience to be memorable for the right reasons. Picnics are inexpensive and fun.

Overall, do not let the cost of travel deter you. With the web at your fingertips, a little imagination, and some flexibility you can undoubtedly organize a voyage within your means.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new. I hope you find information and inspiration in the text and images and join me in my quest for growth, wonderment and self-improvement.
 

Getting away is not always possible. Even a few free hours each day might be more than you can manage.

There is still a way to turn the mundane into something interesting.

Imagine that you are a tourist in your own town. Try carrying around a camera and using it. Tourists see things; they are looking. They are finding unique angles, light, shadows, buildings, people.  Nurture a critical eye and appreciate what is near to home. Experience familiar places in a fresh way.

Our environment offers us plenty to appreciate and it is always evolving.